Fentanyl Abuse & Addiction in Colorado

What Is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is an incredibly potent opioid. This Schedule II prescription drug is used to treat severe pain in medical settings, often following surgery or for pain in patients with cancer. In some instances, it may be used to treat chronic pain in opioid-resistant patients. It is a strong opioid, considered 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.

Fentanyl is known in brand name forms as Actiq, Duragesic, Sublimaze and others. When someone is buying or selling fentanyl on the streets, it may be known by many names, including Apache, China Girl, China White and others. Illicit forms of fentanyl may be combined with heroin, making them so powerful that people can overdose on small amounts.

When fentanyl is taken as prescribed, it’s usually given as an injection or a patch on the skin. It may also be given in lozenge form. However, most of the fentanyl overdoses throughout Colorado are the result of fentanyl that’s produced illegally. When fentanyl is produced in illegal labs, it’s often made in powder form or put on blotter paper.

Why Is Fentanyl Addictive?

Addiction is a complicated health problem. Addiction occurs when a person feels compelled to keep using a substance like fentanyl despite negative consequences in their life. Even if a person wants to stop taking fentanyl, addiction makes it hard for them to do so.

Fentanyl, like other opioids, is addictive. It binds to mu-opioid receptors in the brain and central nervous system. It impacts the areas of the body and brain that regulate and control emotions and pain.

When fentanyl binds to opioid receptors, it triggers the brain’s reward centers and floods the brain with dopamine. This is responsible for the high people feel with this drug and other opioids. This is also why people become addicted. Their brain starts to seek out the substance that led to the feelings of euphoria, and a cycle of addiction is born.

Fentanyl can also create a physical dependence. Physical dependence occurs when your body becomes so used to fentanyl’s presence that it can’t function normally without it. When a person who’s physically dependent on fentanyl suddenly stops taking it, they can experience withdrawal symptoms.

Fentanyl Tolerance and Addiction

Tolerance occurs when a person’s body becomes less responsive to the drug, requiring higher or more frequent doses to achieve the same effect. This escalation dramatically increases the risk of dependence, where the body cannot function normally without fentanyl. Once someone becomes dependent, it can be extremely difficult to quit without professional medical assistance.

Repeated fentanyl use alters the way the brain functions, especially in areas that regulate reward and motivation. This is why users often experience intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop or reduce usage. Over time, fentanyl addiction can infiltrate every aspect of a person’s life, affecting physical health, mental well-being, relationships, and financial stability.

What Makes Fentanyl So Dangerous?

• Extreme Potency: Fentanyl is estimated to be 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and many times stronger than heroin. Even a tiny amount can cause a life-threatening overdose.
• High Risk of Overdose: Because only minuscule doses are required to achieve a strong effect, it is easy to accidentally take too much. On the illicit market, fentanyl is often mixed with other substances—like cocaine, heroin, or pressed into counterfeit pills—making it hard to gauge potency.
• Rapid Onset of Effects: Fentanyl acts quickly on the central nervous system. Once it is taken, dangerously high levels of opioid receptors in the brain can be activated within minutes, potentially leading to respiratory failure and death.
• Risky Illicit Manufacturing: Illegally produced fentanyl is often made in clandestine labs with no oversight or quality control. The unpredictability of these products can lead to users ingesting far higher doses than intended.

Short-Term Effects of Fentanyl

In the short term, fentanyl’s potency can lead to a range of effects, including:

• Euphoria and Relaxation: Users may experience a strong sense of well-being and calm.
• Sedation: Fentanyl often causes drowsiness, making activities like driving or operating machinery extremely dangerous.
• Respiratory Depression: Slowed or shallow breathing is a hallmark of opioid use. Even moderate use can dangerously decrease oxygen levels.
• Nausea and Vomiting: Opioids can upset the stomach, leading to digestive discomfort.
• Confusion or Dizziness: Cognitive impairment is common, which can lead to accidents and injuries.

If use continues, these effects can transition into more severe complications, including overdose and the development of dependency.

Fentanyl Overdose Treatment

A fentanyl overdose is a medical emergency that can rapidly lead to unconsciousness, coma, and death. Immediate treatment involves:

1. Calling Emergency Services (911 in the U.S.): Time is critical when someone has overdosed on fentanyl.
2. Administering Naloxone (Narcan): Naloxone can block or reverse the effects of opioids in the body, often restoring normal breathing. Multiple doses may be required due to fentanyl’s potency.
3. Supportive Care: Once stabilized, oxygen support and other medical interventions may be provided in the hospital setting.
4. Ongoing Treatment: After an overdose, patients should be evaluated for a substance use disorder and provided access to detoxification and rehabilitation programs. Behavioral therapies, counseling, and medication-assisted treatments (like buprenorphine or methadone) can support long-term recovery.

Long-Term Effects of Fentanyl

Chronic fentanyl abuse and addiction can lead to severe health consequences, such as:

• Physical Dependence: Prolonged use of fentanyl rewires the brain’s reward circuits, making cessation challenging without professional help.
• Organ Damage: Consistent opioid abuse may compromise liver and kidney function. It can also weaken the immune system over time.
• Mental Health Disorders: Depression, anxiety, and other co-occurring mental health conditions frequently develop or worsen with ongoing use.
• Social Consequences: Strained relationships, job loss, and legal problems are common as the addiction escalates.
• Increased Overdose Risk: Tolerance drives users to seek higher doses, putting them at ongoing risk for a fatal overdose.

How Is Fentanyl Addiction Treated?

Fentanyl addiction is considered severe in any circumstance because of the potency of this prescription painkiller. If you’re searching for Colorado fentanyl treatment options, the best choice is an inpatient, residential center. At a residential treatment center for fentanyl addiction, you begin with a medically supervised detox, and then you can move on to the intensive work of overcoming your addiction.

Inpatient treatment works particularly well for fentanyl for a few reasons. The first is that addiction to opioids is a complex disease of the brain with physical side effects, including withdrawal. Both the physical and psychological effects need to be appropriately treated.

There’s also the fact that fentanyl isn’t often the first-line drug a person becomes addicted to. They may be using fentanyl because other prescription opioids or heroin aren’t strong enough, or they may be using fentanyl along with other drugs. Polysubstance addictions need to be treated appropriately.

People with addictions to drugs like fentanyl also often have underlying mental health issues that have gone undiagnosed or untreated, which may have led to the use of drugs to self-medicate. Look for a facility where a dual diagnosis treatment approach is provided, like The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake. In these programs, mental health issues can be diagnosed and treated alongside fentanyl addiction for a higher chance of success.

When you check into a fentanyl addiction treatment center, you will begin with a detox plan, which will help make you more comfortable and safe as you go through withdrawal from this opioid. After that, you will begin your individualized treatment plan.

Fentanyl Rehab

Fentanyl addiction is considered a chronic disease, so for many people, the best fentanyl rehab program is one that’s residential and inpatient. There are other options, however, including outpatient fentanyl rehab. This is usually a good option for someone who’s already completed inpatient treatment.

Regardless of whether you opt for inpatient or outpatient fentanyl rehab,  it will consist of a combination of behavioral therapies and, if necessary, medical interventions. Therapies can include group, individual and family sessions.

Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms

The withdrawal symptoms of fentanyl are similar to other opioids, and for most people, the first symptoms begin just a few hours after the last time the drug is used. Some of the worst and most uncomfortable fentanyl withdrawal symptoms will usually begin within about 24 hours. For most people, fentanyl withdrawal symptoms stop within ten days after the drug is used for the last time.

For people who use multiple drugs, such as heroin and fentanyl, the withdrawal symptoms may linger for slightly longer and up to 10 days.

Some of the initial fentanyl withdrawal symptoms include:

• Pain in muscles or bones
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Chills and goosebumps
• Jerking leg movements
• Cravings

For some people, there may be some extended fentanyl withdrawal symptoms that are primarily psychological and mood-related, such as continuing anxiety and insomnia.

Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline

Not every person is going to have the same fentanyl withdrawal symptoms timeline, but in general, this is an overview of what you can expect with this drug:

• Stage one of the fentanyl withdrawal timeline usually lasts for up to 10 days and starts within 24 hours after the last time someone used the drug. During the first stage, people will have the most severe and difficult symptoms. These can include anxiety, insomnia, sweating and achiness.
• During stage two of the fentanyl withdrawal timeline, a person may feel a reduced sense of well-being and significant cravings. Stage two of the fentanyl withdrawal timeline can last up to 6 months.

What About Fentanyl Withdrawal After Short-Term Use?

Regardless of how long someone has been using fentanyl, the drug is a potent opioid and should be withdrawn from with medical oversight.

During fentanyl withdrawal treatment, people will usually either follow a course of tapering down or cold turkey withdrawal. Tapering down can involve lowering doses of fentanyl or using drugs like suboxone to lessen symptoms and make withdrawal easier and safer. Cold turkey fentanyl withdrawal can be incredibly uncomfortable and can also lead to problems like dehydration and constipation.

No single taper schedule exists for fentanyl, and your doctor can help you determine what taper schedule is best for you.

Fentanyl Detox in Colorado

So how can you detox from fentanyl? The best thing is to attend fentanyl detox treatment at an accredited facility such as The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake, located in Colorado.

There can be complications that occur as you detox from fentanyl, regardless of the form you used. Fentanyl detox symptoms can be uncomfortable, and detox is one of the biggest roadblocks to recovery for a lot of people. Detox from the fentanyl patch or any other type of fentanyl abuse can be successful if you have the right treatment program.

At The Recovery Village at Palmer Lake, our addiction experts can provide the necessary therapeutic and medical interventions to help mitigate the risk of relapse.

FAQs on Fentanyl Abuse and Addiction

Is fentanyl more potent than other opioid drugs?

Yes. Fentanyl is significantly more potent than many other opioids, including morphine and heroin. Its strength means that even a slight miscalculation in dosage can lead to severe consequences, including respiratory failure and death.

Why is fentanyl so popular?

Fentanyl’s popularity stems from a combination of its potency, availability, and relatively low cost to produce. For people who are addicted to opioids, fentanyl can provide a powerful, fast-acting high. Unfortunately, the same features that drive its popularity also make it extremely dangerous. Illicit drug manufacturers often mix fentanyl with other substances to stretch their product, which can unknowingly expose users to higher risks.

What drug can help a fentanyl overdose?

Naloxone (commonly known by the brand name Narcan) is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose if administered promptly. It binds to opioid receptors in the brain and displaces fentanyl, helping restore normal breathing. Anyone who uses opioids (or knows someone who does) is encouraged to keep naloxone on hand and learn how to use it.